Re: NOSI releases "Open Source Primer" for Nonprofits

[Darryl Caldwell <darrylc@fudosys.com>]

Hey all,

Excellent thread. Mark, thanks for bringing it up. 

I think Katrin and Michelle put it out there for just this sort of
feedback. Here is my .02. 

The document would be better if it gave equal nods to both expressions.
The only pragmatism to really consider is demonstrating productivity and
end use case scenarios. It is certainly not too late for NPOs to learn
the value of "Free Software", after all they take the lead from the
technologists that are introducing the concept. I have shopped the
following article around to quite a few and no one has stumbled over the
terminology or concepts:

http://fudosys.com/Calendula.html

I invite NOSI folks to please look it over. While focusing on
fundraising systems, it contains pragmatic scenarios of FLOSS in action
(outside of dentistry).

I wish I were going to NTEN, but I am not. Here is something I did do
this week that I encourage everyone to do in their regions: I went to
the NDOA Winter Conference here in Seattle. It is good to put on
technology conferences for NPOs, it is also good to go to their
conferences and hear their issues. NDOA (Northwest Development Officer
Association, www.ndoa.org), hosts 2 conference a year for fundraisers to
get training, network, share ideas. I got to network with many of my
local organizations, they got to hear what I do and you all should have
seen their eyes light up when I explained ideas like "...freely coping
software without penalty" and "collaborating with your peers to help
create the software you need."

There was one tech session on creating and designing a fundraising
database. I was there, I listen to their pains, mentally ticking off in
my head how many were directly due to relying on proprietary software
(most). When my moment came, I raised my hand offer my perspective which
the speaker and many members of the audience were very receptive too. I
also suggested that those who wanted to know more should contact me.
Five of the 20 in the room asked for my contact info. I talked it up
with my table mates at breakfast and lunch as well and folks were
interested.

There are conferences like this in your areas. Look for them, call up a
NPO near you to find out which associations they belong to, get on their
mailing lists, enter their discussions. They really do want to know that
we are here. 

So get out there!

-D


-- 
Darryl Caldwell darrylc@fudosys.com
Fudo Systems  www.fudosys.com
206/567-5802  "Free Your Computers!"